Google Maps to add offline search/navigation, Places API for iOS now available to all

As part of its Google I/O developer conference today, Google is offering some updates on its Google Places API for iOS as well as future updates arriving for its Maps app.

The Google Places API for iOS, first launched in beta mode a few months back, is now available to all developers and will be arriving soon in a number of notable iOS apps. The API lets devs tap into Google’s database of points of interest. 

The company highlighted a couple notable apps working to integrate the Places API including Lyft and PicsArt:

Lyft will be coming out soon with a new version of their iOS app that uses Google Maps and Places APIs to know where you want to be picked up and dropped off… In the next version of PicsArt, you’ll be able to simply use the place picker and the chosen location will be added to your post!

Google also noted that the Google Places API for iOS now has all of the features as the Android version:

• Add a place picker: a drop-in UI widget that allows your users to specify a place (see the Picsart screenshot above)
• Get the place where the device is currently located
• Show detailed place information, including the place’s name, address, phone number, website, and more
• Use autocomplete to save your users time and frustration typing out place names, by automatically completing them as they type (see the Lyft screenshot above)
• Make your app stand out by adding new places that are relevant to your users and seeing the places appear in Google’s Places database
• Improve the map around you by reporting the presence of a device at a particular place.

As for Google Maps, Google said on stage during its keynote presentation that an offline search mode and offline turn-by-turn voice navigation is coming soon. The company said the feature would arrive sometime later this year.